Vengeance Along the Blade of Honor
by DukeofEminence
Summary: The galaxy has been in a relative peace since the end of the New Sith Wars and the defeat of fallen Jedi turned Sith Lords, Exar Kun and Ulic Quel-Droma. However, Mandalorian forces along the Outer Rim are gaining strength as they goad the Republic and Jedi Order into one of the bloodiest wars in galactic history. Main Characters: Revan, Meetra Surik, Alek, Vima Sunrider
1. Chapter 1

Greetings, everyone!

This is my first attempt at posting fan fiction to any site. Growing up, Star Wars has been a huge part of my life. The movies, games, books-any form of Star Wars media I loved. The 2003 game, _Knights of the Old Republic_ , was what really solidified my love for Star Wars as a 7 year old, and though I hated the second entry for many years for various reasons, I would still play through it because it was Star Wars (I adore it now).

This story is inspired by these games, with the Legends canon being followed in most cases (ex. with genders for Revan and the Exile being male and female, respectively/ Meetra Surik used as the Exile's name), and so on. These two are far and away my favorite characters in the entire series, so this writing will feature them heavily. While I know that I will not be following Legend canon on everything, I will do my best to do my research to be at least relatively close as often as I can. That being said, I do have a different vision for the characters than may have been portrayed in later media (such as in the Revan novelization and in the _The Old Republic_ MMO). However, most of the early stuff will likely stay quite similar.

Some things you may notice with this (depending on how familiar you are with Legends lore) is that Revan wasn't Revan's actual name. It isn't known in any source material that I am familiar with, so I just went with Revan by default. If a name is given for him at any point, I will likely edit this in. Also, I always felt that it was so odd how major characters such as Nomi and Vima Sunrider are not mentioned much or show up anywhere in the _Knights of the Old Republic_ series. It doesn't make sense since neither of them prematurely died in any source material, and so should be active participants in the Jedi Order at these points in time that the games take place. As such, I am adding them in, along with several others from the comics in which they appear.

I am not sure how far I will take this. I don't have much planned beyond this, and nothing else written, but if there is demand I would certainly consider continuing. Hell, I'd probably continue anyway at some point just because I had such a good time writing this portion.

In any event, feel free to leave me any comments, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Star Wars: Vengeance Along the Blade of Honor

Chapter 1

3976 Years Before the Battle of Yavin (BBY)

Dantooine

Outside of the Jedi Enclave, a class of young Jedi students—in the age range of ten through twelve—trained in physical combat exercises. Masters Vandar Tokare and Vima Sunrider watched from above from a hill overlooking the training grounds below.

The Jedi Enclave, built on Dantooine several hundred years ago, served as one of the major training grounds of Jedi that the Order had founded around the galaxy. It was the furthest official Jedi settlement from the Core Worlds, outside of Ossus, which, unfortunately, wouldn't be visited by anyone after what occurred a couple decades ago.

Dantooine was a temperate world on the inner periphery of the Outer Rim, which made trade routes and travel easier to the Core Worlds. Though there was a generous mixture of the seasons on most of Dantooine, the weather on the axis of the planet in which the Enclave was located was generally much warmer throughout most of its orbital revolution. Much of the territory outside of the small civilized camps were open plains and savannah, and though it was beautiful, it was equally deadly if one wasn't careful. Vicious spider-ant creatures known as leigreks and especially territorial packs of kath hounds roamed the plains, among other threats.

Vima, her light red-blonde hair swaying in the wind, smiled at the training students below, practicing melee combat with numbsabers—harmless numbing weapons meant to simulate the look and feel of a lightsaber.

The two had been there for a time, only watching, not speaking a word. Vima sat on the warm blades of long grass, enjoying the feel of the nature against her skin—a sensation she had begun to forget living in the main Jedi Temple on the city-world of Coruscant.

Vandar, the Head Master of the Enclave, was a non-humanoid species of small stature, at a standing height of no more than two and a half feet tall and a light wrinkled skin, sat alongside her.

"You have some very promising students, Master Vandar," Vima commented.

Vandar nodded lightly. Though she would never dare say so aloud, she found his long pointy ears cute, and turned her face to hide a slight curl of her lips.

"Yes," he said, "this particular age group of students contains several highly talented individuals. We are pleased with their progress."

"Are there any standouts?" she asked, as she was eyeing one particular student.

"Revan," the experienced Master answered quickly. "He has showed exemplary improvement over the last year. There is also Tai'le and Alek."

"Tai'le," Vima repeated the female name. "Is she the one there?" She pointed to one of the girls that was closest to them, sparring. As she asked the question, the one she pointed to was tagged by the numbsaber of her opponent, dropping her own with a clank.

"No, Tai'le is further back, near the back to the left. The one you mention is Meetra."

"Tell me about her."

Vandar noted her interest.

"Meetra is…behind many of her peers," he said.

This surprised Vima. "Really? I didn't get that sense from her," she said, even though she and Vandar had just witnessed Meetra take a loss in her most recent duel.

"Young Meetra Surik is a good student, kind, and has a bright mind for her age—she has potential, certainly. However, she is stubborn, that one."

Before Vandar could elaborate further, she intervened. "Like Revan? Many in the Order have heard his name mentioned, and not always for the best reasons."

Vandar hummed agreement of this comparison. "Yes, like Revan in many ways. They are leaders, will become leaders, if they complete their training. Meetra is not Revan, though."

"What makes you say this, Master?" Vima asked. She knew full well what shape his answer would take, but she wanted his audible confirmation.

"I, and the other Masters, believe that though she is indeed force-sensitive, perhaps it is not as strong in her as we once thought. Her learning comes slow. Students in the age-class below her have matched or surpassed her in many areas concerning basic Force techniques. It is something we have found troubling."

Vima believed the wizened Master, she had known of him all her life, though this was her first time meeting him in person. He was among the most respected Masters in the Order, and she had no reason to doubt his comments. Still, she felt something in the girl.

This Meetra. Something that drew Vima to her. Almost irresistibly.

During Meetra's duel, in which her sparring partner had tagged her along her right forearm, she was visibly disappointed in herself, but equally happy for her opponent's success, gladly praising him with a wide smile. Seeing that in one so young was refreshing to Vima, and to her, it spoke volumes about Meetra's attitude. A Jedi's training aside, a child was still a child in most aspects.

"What about her has been stubborn, as you mentioned before?"

Vandar looked to the fellow Jedi, historically young for her rank of Knight, and blinked. "Perhaps 'stubborn' was the wrong way to describe her. Though, if we stick with it, her stubbornness is a strength, but also a weakness."

"How so?"

Vandar looked to the curvy grass wavering to the rhythm of the light breeze that passed them, smiled, said, "She doesn't stop; she is relentless. There is a fire in that one that burns bright with the desire to better herself." He looked out to the students below. They were cleaning up, taking their gear off and sticking them into small sacks and began lining up to head inside the Enclave. "For example, during her free time today, she will come out here, by herself, and train."

Vima watched Meetra walk. She controlled her emotions well. Her stride was nonchalant, playful, almost, but it hid her deeper feelings. Embarrassment. She hid her weakness with a mask of strength that her confident nature covered well. Vima could feel it from here, so surely the Masters knew as well.

"She would practice for hours into the night, if we let her," Vandar continued. "This is only her most recent desire. A few months ago, it was her attempts at manipulating the small stones she took from the riverbed near the Matale Estate. Our cameras showed her up all night, trying to focus, meditate, anything she thought might help move those rocks off her table quicker."

Vima remained silent, contemplating many things. The main one was Meetra, obviously, but more specifically about what might be causing her issues. Perhaps it was the teachings. It was nothing against the Masters and Knights here, but sometimes one needed a special sort of teacher, one they could connect with, and thus make the most headway with. Her mind was brought back to the icy planet of Rhen Var, where she had trained under the former Jedi turned Sith Lord, Ulic Quel-Droma. Though his name was still spoken with a mixture of fear, contempt, and pity, Vima found it hard to identify him as anything other than her teacher, even with everything she knew about what he did. Perhaps the teacher Meetra needed wasn't here on Dantooine.

Perhaps.

"She did get better," the old Master said, breaking her train of thought. "The diligence of one so young is truly unprecedented, but still the problem remains, she cannot keep up."

Vandar looked to Vima, and it took a moment for her to realize this, but she felt his stare. "You are interested in this girl."

No point or reason to deny it. She had made no attempt to hide her opinion of Meetra. "Yes, I am."

"May I speak honestly, Knight Sunrider?"

"You may call me Vima," she said with a smile. "And, please do."

Vandar nodded. "And you may call me Vandar.

"I would caution your expectations of her, Vima. Meetra is strong, but perhaps not in the ways that living the life of a Jedi require. I have my doubts that her training will last beyond the next few years."

"Stick with her, Vandar. I see something in her; it is a something I can't fully express, but she is good. Very good."

"I will take to heart your evaluation."

"Thank you, Vandar."

Vandar, pushed himself up, bringing the pointed ears of his head just above Vima's while she was still sitting.

"We should go inside, as well," he said.

Vima nodded, got up and followed the short Master. As she walked, one thing was drilled into her mind with clarity: She would meet this girl before she left Dantooine.

* * *

Revan sat, as he always did, with his best friend, Alek, for the Enclave dinner in the small cafeteria. All of the young students—from ages six through sixteen, measured by galactic standard years—ate here at this time, making the room a tight squeeze.

"Did you hear the news?" Alek said after taking a first spoonful of tonight's special: gizka leg soup.

"No. What?" Revan was far more interested in a bit of gossip then whatever the soup he pushed away from him tasted like.

"There is a Jedi Knight here from Coruscant."

"Wow," was all he said, and it was the last they talked about it. He did find it interesting though. He had heard from the older students that trained Jedi sometimes came from off-world to scout potential apprentices. It didn't really mean much for him though, he was still too young, he assumed. He would be on Dantooine for quite a while still.

Revan remained uncharacteristically silent at the table, merely listening and nodding at Alek, and the others at the circular table. He was watching her.

Meetra.

He had noticed a particular pattern with her recently, and he found it entertaining to watch people, to pick up stray details about them. Over the past few weeks, she had made the decision to leave the cafeteria fifteen minutes early and turn through the hallway to the Apprentice Quarters where all their rooms were. Then, usually about two minutes later, she would come in view of the cafeteria room again and go the opposite direction.

After a few days of seeing this happen, Revan had noticed her outside in the private Enclave training grounds, practicing her form and technique with the numbsaber against some target dummies. She had seemingly done this for several weeks now. Revan didn't know why anyone would want to give up their time to rest—to stop training for the day—just to practice some more. Besides, they spent most of the day doing it anyway.

Today, he wanted to talk to her about it out of curiosity. And the fact that he had noticed a flaw in her sword handling that left her open too often. Swordmaster Kasen had told her as much, but still she suffered from it.

Actually, Revan had wanted to talk to Meetra for a good long while before now, but he was nervous. She was always surrounded by a lot of people, just like him, and it made reaching certain individuals harder. Someone always wanted to be around him, to have him show them what he did to be so adept at what he was doing at the time so they could learn. Revan usually tried, but he wasn't a really good teacher. Too impatient. Too filled with a hidden pride. It was a pride his Masters subdued every chance they got if they managed a glimpse of it. He knew they watched him more than most.

Revan had looked away from Meetra for just about thirty seconds, and when he looked for her again, she was gone. Gone to get her things, then. Revan watched the double doors leading out of the cafeteria, and soon enough, he saw her pass across it quickly.

"What have you been looking at?" Alek asked, thumping Revan's shoulder with his own.

"Nothing."

The vague answer produced a look of query from Alek, but he shrugged, finishing his soup seconds later.

"I've got to go," Revan said after waiting a couple more minutes.

"Do you want that?" Vosa asked. The thick brown-skinned besalisk's upper two of his four arms moved not so subtly closer to the uneaten meal Revan hadn't touched.

"Take it," Revan replied, ignoring the questioning glance from Alek.

Revan made a quick trip to his cot, grabbing his own numbsaber and left to the saber training grounds outside the Enclave where he had seen her practice until one of the Masters called her in. Revan looked outside through a window down at her. She swung the silver blade high, cutting down low. Basic Shii-Cho combinations.

After a few moments, he left the window and didn't stop until he was a couple arm lengths away from her. If he had stopped before the point that she noticed him, he could have easily persuaded himself to turn around, but he was here now, and she looked to him.

"Hi," she said, deactivating her blade.

"Hi," is all he said back.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked after sensing he had nothing else to say.

"It's just that I've noticed you come out here a lot. To practice." He looked at her blade's hilt. "Alone."

"I can focus better when I am alone."

"Umm, I'm sorry." Revan stammered for a few seconds, looking off behind her. The sun was setting, the sky turning various shades of light orange. The smooth colors reflected off the stone of the Enclave blacktop they stood on. "Maybe I should go, then."

Revan turned to leave, but she called out to him. When he turned to look her in the face, looked her in the face for what he realized was really the first time, he found her easy-going features comforting. Her smirk was pleasant, rather than rude.

He noticed a line of sweat run down her cheek, drip once. She had been hard at work in the few minutes she had started before he arrived.

"I see you brought a numbsaber," she said. "Were you coming out to practice with me?"

Revan lifted his saber, not realizing how hard he was gripping it. Releasing some of the tension in his fingers, he nodded. "If you didn't care, yeah."

"Great!" she said happily approaching him, and swung her now activated blade at his shins.

Revan staggered, barely managed to back away from a full-on hit and fell backwards. He hadn't gotten fully away, and felt the numbing spread around his right knee.

Looking up at her, he couldn't keep a scowl from his face. It didn't hurt, but no one ever wanted to feel like they weren't in full control of their body, like the numbsaber was meant to do.

"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing and shaking his shin to lessen the feeling of having his leg amputated halfway down.

"I just wanted see what you'd do," she said innocently. Revan could tell she wasn't regretful.

"Well, what did you think was going to happen? That was cheap!"

"But it's fair," she replied. "That is what Master Kasen told us a few days ago, remember? He said, 'Remember, this training is only a simulation. Don't think these are the rules that every enemy will play by, so don't boast your superiority in a dueling match, its pointless. Pointless to a Jedi; everyone will break the rules to beat you.'"

Barely standing, but far more alert, he said, "Did you really just recite all that? How can you even—"

Meetra interjected with a quick step, "Yep," she replied.

Revan noticed she had never turned her blade off as she sprang forward and swung high. He saw it was a little _too_ high, and only had to duck slightly for her to miss completely. By design? Didn't matter, he was still flustered by her dirty tactics.

"Stop!"

It came out extremely heated, and he felt guilty about it immediately, even if his heart was still racing at the exertion of Meetra's sudden strikes. She now looked genuinely sorry, and she voiced it, deactivated the blade.

She didn't look at him when she said it, but at the ground next to him. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," he said.

Her head rose to his. Revan noticed how pretty she was, probably even more so when she let her light dark hair down. He knew it fell to just past her shoulders when it was untied.

They didn't say anything, and again she had to break it.

"So, uhh, do I still get training from the best in the class?"

Revan snorted, gently sitting back down. His leg still felt weird, but it would pass soon.

"Maybe in a couple minutes," he said, looking at her as she watched him rub some more at his shin.

That made her uncomfortable again, and she turned away. "I shouldn't have done that."

Something inside Revan made him instantly answer her, though he wasn't sure he entirely believed it after it came out.

"No, it's okay."

She didn't reply, flipping the numbsaber in her hands to create some kind of distraction.

Revan couldn't help it any more. He didn't want this to be awkward, even if it was mostly her fault.

"You should sit. You look tired."

That awakened something in her, and he suddenly wished he just kept it awkward. She glared his way, said, "I'm fine," reactivated the numbsaber, and practiced the movements she had been in the process of performing when he arrived.

After a few minutes, Revan could stand normally again, and he looked at Meetra, paying him no mind. Should he stay, or leave her be? It was hard to say.

He decided.

"Hey."

She paused. Looked at him.

"I am ready to spar, if you want."

She seemed unsure at first, but nodded. "Okay."

The short session went well, lasting only ten minutes, but he gave some quick tips. Basically, the ones that had been taught over the past few days, but she took it all in, and looked better, by Revan's mostly untrained eye.

He was surprised to find he actually taught some things to her moderately well, and though the session was lightning fast compared to the hour of time that their numbsaber class lasted each day, he had the fortitude to see it through.

He sat, and this time, she sat too. They were both tired, and Revan only now realized he was sweating through his evening tunic, not meant to be worn through exertion.

"Sorry, that I got a little angry before," Meetra said. "I…I just can't help myself sometimes."

She was talking about the Jedi's way of thinking, of controlling one's emotions.

"Looks like we both got stuff to be sorry for today," he joked. "I got angry too, but we are both still here. Still happy. We didn't hurt anyone, did we?"

Meetra thought about it. "No. We didn't."

They both stared up at the sky, darker than before. Orange replaced with darker blue, signaling the end of the daylight hours.

He looked to her, next to him.

"I'm Revan," he said. He was unsure of how to act, so he held a hand out for her to shake.

She smiled, shook it. "I know who you are. I'm Meetra."

Revan laughed a little, coughing as his stomach wheezed a bit.

"I know who you are too. It isn't a really big place, around here."

It was true, there were probably only about a hundred training students at the Enclave.

"It's nice to finally talk to you, Revan," she said.

"Yeah. It is."

Soon, it was getting too dark, and Meetra bumped Revan.

"Let's go inside. Zhar will probably come looking for me soon, anyway."

Revan stood, offering a hand to Meetra. She took it, and they stood facing each other.

"Right," he said. "Let's go."

They walked quietly for a few steps, when Revan spoke.

"I can help you with other things."

She didn't answer right away.

"Maybe," she said.

Maybe?

The confusing thought vanished as the door to the Enclave opened before they arrived to it fully. There was the twi'lek Master, Zhar, but also a new face. It was indeed another Master, probably the one Alek had mentioned earlier.

"Ah, Meetra. Revan?" Zhar said, looking to them both.

His name spoken as a question made him feel singled out, but knew it was only because they were only expecting her.

"Meetra. Master Vima Sunrider wishes to speak with you. You should follow her."

Vima nodded towards her, small smile across her lips. She looked welcoming.

"Yes, Master," Meetra replied, bowing lightly to him, and followed the other Master inside.

When they were gone and Zhar had sealed the door behind them, he turned to Revan.

"Out there with Meetra?"

"Yes, Master."

"What were you two doing?"

Defensive. He always felt defensive when talking with a Master. They were always prying, trying to find something to lecture on.

"I was sparring with her."

It seemed as if Zhar expected something more to be said from the young apprentice.

"We talked a little, too," Revan added, hoping that was sufficient.

It was, this time. Zhar nodded and waved him off. "Go on, then."

So he did, feeling like he had done as much for himself as he had for Meetra.

* * *

Meetra didn't realize it at its first mention since she hadn't been expecting to be approached by an off-world Master, but as she followed silently behind the Master who wished to speak to her, she placed it.

This was Vima Sunrider, as Zhar had introduced. Vima, the only child of Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Nomi Sunrider. The realization sent a curious mix of adrenaline and anxiety through her body. The Jedi were an odd kind of public organization. The Galactic Senate gave Jedi universally freer reign to conduct themselves as glorified watchmen and peacekeepers, but they were also allowed to keep many of their member's identities out of public records. This continued secrecy, especially after the Exar Kun War, garnered the Jedi an unfavorable public image. There were a couple faces of the Order, the Grand Master always among them, but most everyone else was an unknown, even to the training students here on Dantooine.

As such, Meetra had never seen Vima on a holo-record before, but now the famed Jedi was here next to her, in the flesh. She had remembered hearing that Vima had gotten promoted to a Knight recently by her mother, and it marked the first time in the Order that a human so young had been Knighted during relatively peaceful times. Vima was just twenty-four standard years old. Wars often saw the early promotion of apprentices to Knighthood in order to join the various conflicts throughout the ages, but it was a process always scaled back to normality by the Order eventually. Vima's Knighthood was slightly controversial, but nobody doubted Nomi enough to make a real fuss about it, not after everything she had done.

Vima led them to one of the private meditation rooms spread throughout the enclave. It was dim inside the relatively empty and small room. In the center circle were two flat circular seats. Vima waved Meetra in and shut the door, bringing the light settings up so they could see better.

"Take a seat, Meetra," she said.

Meetra took her spot on one of the seats, sitting cross-legged, as was proper use when on one of these. Vima took her place on the opposite. She was graceful. She looked to be no older than her mid-twenties, and Meetra could see through the loose Jedi garb she was lithe and strong.

The stories of her beauty were right. One only had to look to her mother to know such things. Vima, Nomi, Kavar, and other Jedi who made Coruscant their home, were like fables—legends—to the students here. Talked about, stories told of great heroism, but never seen. One day, Meetra wanted to go to the city-world to meet all of them, and to gaze across the endless stream of high-rising buildings and the air traffic lines. It all seemed so magical.

"You are so lucky," Vima said, noticing the young one's mind was racing. "You live on such a beautiful world."

Meetra nodded, finding her previous thoughts ironically turned on themselves. "It's nice."

To be honest, she didn't know how much she meant it. So far, the only planet she had ever called home was Dantooine. It felt a little too boring compared to all the other planets she knew about.

"As Master Zhar said, I am Vima. I decided to visit the Enclave for the first time."

"I've heard about you," Meetra said, breaking her shyness as best she could.

"Really?" Vima leaned forward, small smile curling her lip. "What have you heard?"

Meetra liked her a lot already. This was someone you could trust, an instinct built even into the minds of the young.

"Your mother is Nomi Sunrider, Grand Master of the Jedi Order."

Vima leaned back to a normal sitting position. It looked like she was expecting that answer.

"But I am not my mother. What do you know about me?"

Meetra stammered, realizing she didn't know much.

"You…you're a Master on Coruscant."

She thought about adding on something she had heard one time, but in the heat of the moment she couldn't remember.

"I am a Knight, and I've only recently completed my training. My trials were very long, and very hard, but in the end, I passed them because I worked harder then I ever had before. I wanted this, and I made sure nothing would stop me from getting it."

Vima looked to be inside her own mind now, but her blue eyes quickly focused back into Meetra.

"Do you know," she continued, "that still, even after all of it, there were those who thought me too young, too inexperienced?"

"I heard a little about that," Meetra replied.

"Meetra, you see, my training started late—later than most. To traditionalists, I am still a girl with only a few years of sanctioned Jedi training. And who can have a mere girl sit on a carry the title of a full-fledged Knight?

"When I was really young, I wanted nothing more than to be a Jedi like my mother and father. It was a dream, and when I began learning, the dream slowly disappeared. It is who I am now, a Jedi, but I soon learned that I couldn't just hold on to that dream. The dream isn't what kept me going. I had come to realize that being a Jedi wasn't about lightsabers or using the Force. It was about my destiny—my place in the galaxy."

Vima held a neutral look as she was about to speak some more. Meetra knew this meant a test of some kind was coming.

"I saw you today, in the numbsaber class."

Meetra tried to be as neutral as the Master looked, but under her stare it was too much to hold up for more than a few seconds. Her eyes wandered, told it all.

"You aren't as good as you want to be," Vima stated. "You were out practicing when we found you—trying to be better, to make yourself better."

Meetra found it impossible to speak, even if there were words for her to say. Equally impossible was breaking away from Vima's stare as she asked her to look up.

"I can feel it inside of you, apprentice. The struggle, the conflict, the doubt. They are a…bitter storm inside you, but under it all…there is who you are. I can feel it."

The Master, stoic in expression, let it fade, and Meetra was glad to see the look of the woman she had seen earlier that was so different from all her Masters here.

"Meetra, I believe you have the same destiny as me. Your power, your sensitivity to the Force is there—weaker than most other students here—but it is there. It is not up to me to decide, but I may be able to help provide you something to access it better. Do you want to try?"

There was never a more obvious choice in her life.

Meetra nodded. "Yes. Please."

Through all the years of her training, Meetra hadn't been able to keep up with those of her age. They had surpassed her in almost every way, and she could never figure out why. She trained more than them, tried harder than most of them, and had the ambition to learn and improve, but it only ever resulted in minimal gains. Meetra knew the power to use the Force was within her—her dedication did prove beneficial, even if small—but it was as if it refused her command and laid dormant within her.

Vima's look became serious again. "This is something I have only done once, with…" She froze, but then rose off the seat from her own cross-legged position. "With a friend."

The young Master kneeled in front the still younger student. Meetra reacted to the closeness with uncertainty, but the woman's presence soon felt soft and soothing. The Force itself was emanating in waves off her like the steam coming from a boiling pot of water. Meetra understood why she was a Master, now.

Vima gestured, and the lights dimmed as they had been when they entered. She held her hands in a cup to the student. "Lay your hands in mine and close your eyes."

Meetra did as she was asked. The Master's light hold was warm, her scent had the smell of the Dantooine wilderness about it. Calming, familiar.

"Breathe deep. Breathe consciously. Feel the Force around you."

With the senses of her surroundings heightened, she felt herself drift about, wavering in the limbo between the blurred lines of the physical world and that of the spirit. This was not unknown to her; the Masters of the Enclave brought all students to this state of being several points throughout their training. But this was not the same—they preferred less intimate connection. While students were taught to borrow the energies that the Masters provided, it was more of a distant presence. With Vima, it was everywhere. Every breath felt saturated with power—with the Force.

Though her eyes were closed, and she pictured only darkness, the sound of the lone long window in the room sliding down and the blinds turning was easily audible, as if it was at her ear.

"Breathe in, deeply. Hold it.

"Now let it out slowly. In a stream."

As she did, Vima said, "Now follow the stream."

It was at this point that Meetra was no longer a part of her own body—at least, that's how it felt. The sensation was odd, she had never gone this deep into a meditative trance before. Her mind was now riding the current of Force-infused breath she had exhaled. It carried her out of the room, through the window and into the open air, still holding onto the heat of the warm daylight since darkened.

 _You feel it lift you out?_

Vima's voice was now around her, rather than in front of her.

 _Yes…I am the air._

Meetra sensed the Master's approval.

 _Good. Now, tell me what you feel._

Meetra could not physically see the world around her as she was carried along, but feeling it seemed to provide a whole new layer of depth that simple sight was blind to. The open plains were silent. The day's hunt was over for the pack of kath hounds she sensed. They were at peace, content. A matriarch fondling her young. The lead males kept watch over the den, large horns piercing the air at the random noises of the night.

 _Everything is quiet. Kath hounds—they are so…still._

 _Kath hounds_ , Vima repeated, slight humor in her voice. _They are strong, wild, not easily calmed. They are of nature's design. Now stay there, above them. Go deeper. What do you feel now?_

Meetra's presence hovered over the pack. The den was carved out into a steep hill in which they lay. The males were at its entrance, under the wavering branches of Dantooine's thickly limbed prairie trees. There was a similarity to it all. It was no longer the current of her breath that she rode, she realized it was the current of the living Force. A current that touched and ran through everything.

It was a basic teaching—that the Force was a binding power within all things—but to feel it as such gave existence a more unified cohesion.

 _I feel it all. It is together—the same…_

 _It is. Yet, you are now more focused on everything but yourself. Meetra, what do you now feel inside you?_

The final words Vima spoke felt like a tug, winding Meetra neatly back into her body.

Immediately, Meetra felt it—felt it stronger than ever before. It had felt like a twinkle before, but what was once a blurry flicker was now more akin to a beating heart. The sensation was so strong, she hadn't even realized how hard she was breathing—certainly not the controlled ones in which she had begun the meditation with.

Vima let go of her hands, and lifted Meetra's chin.

She smiled widely now. Meetra returned it.

"You did good. Very good," she said.

"Wh-" Meetra tried to control her enthusiasm. "What did you do?"

The Master stood, offering a hand so that they both could release the tension.

"I only showed you the Force that you have been studying for years—the Force that has always been in you."

"I feel so good. Is it always going to be like this?"

She knew it was a crazy thing to ask, but when had anyone ever lost the power they had gained?

"No, young one. It is a new feeling for you, but the euphoria will pass soon. Your connection to the Force, though, that will never leave you. No one will ever be able to take it from you fully."

Meetra knew that there were occasions that a simple thank you seemed utterly inefficient, and this was one of those times, but it was all she could do without breaking the strict rules of embracing. Vima had gotten closer to her than anyone had before, probably a little too close for the other Masters' liking.

When Meetra thanked her, Vima nodded.

"You are welcome, Meetra. You would do well to get some extra rest tonight, child."

Vima guided the student out of the chamber in which they had only been inside for perhaps ten minutes.

When the door shut, she waved Meetra off.

"Go on, now."

Meetra took off, needing to burn off her pent-up adrenaline. As she was about to turn the first corner, she stopped and looked to Vima, took a few steps back to her.

"Will I see you again?" Meetra asked, scared of the answer.

"One day, you will. I'm certain of it," the Master answered.

The inconclusiveness took some of the wind out of the student's sails, but she nodded, and walked out of sight.

* * *

As Vima walked to her quarters to do her own personal meditation, she was accompanied by Master Zhar.

"Zhar," Vima greeted with a short nod.

Zhar was a twi'lek who served on the Coruscant High Council as he lived on Dantooine—like Vandar and Vrook Lamar. As two Council members, they held most of the authority in the Enclave. Zhar carried himself with a heavy boot, as one who held power over this place. His voice—speaking Galactic Basic, rather than the native tongue of his kind—was deep.

"Your meeting with apprentice Surik seemed to have gone well. She came out of that room noticeably different," he said.

"She did," Vima agreed.

Vima knew what he wanted to know—wanted her to explain—but he assumed she would elaborate without being asked directly. To be honest, the short session she had gone through had taxed her quickly, and she wanted to rest more than speak.

"May I ask what you did with her?"

As much as she wanted to rest, Vima stopped by her guest chamber's door and began to indulge the Master. She doubted he would like the answer.

"It is a technique that Ulic used to train me on Rhen Var. I once struggled in a similar way that Meetra did, and it helped me."

Zhar's eyes narrowed at the casual mention of the now deceased former leader of the Krath and apprentice to Exar Kun. Ulic Quel-Droma had been a gifted Jedi, but when he got a taste of power while undercover as a spy in the fanatical dark-side worshipping Krath, it had been more than he could handle, and he gave in to the powers they offered. So the man that his mother had known and cared deeply for had been turned into a shell of hate, leaving nothing of the once proud Jedi that he had been.

"Did he? To have trained anybody in such a state as he was in should have been impossible, much less on a planet as barren as Rhen Var."

Vima knew bringing up that time in her life would supply her the same uneasy looks—or scowls, in some cases—as Zhar had given, but there was no changing the past, and so she embraced it. She wasn't dismissive of the way people felt about Ulic—for he had committed _many_ crimes—but his legacy as a Sith Lord would forever cloud the good that he brought to entire systems before.

 _And to a girl following him around in the cold blizzards…over a dozen years ago._

"It would seem that way, but my showing up at his door motivated him enough to try after a time, and it worked. I would not be where I am without him."

Zhar nodded slowly.

"I would be very interested in hearing more about your time with Meetra at a later time, but you look exhausted. Please,"—he stepped away and extended his hand to the room—"rest."

Vima smiled and bowed, relieved to have some time to herself.

"Thank you, Master Zhar. I am appreciative of the other Masters having me."

"It is our pleasure to have the Order's newest Knight within our Enclave. Rest well, Nomi Sunrider—we have a long slate of continued discussions on many a topic regarding your recent discoveries on Althir."

The events on Althir left Vima troubled at their mention.

"Yes… the Mandalorians there proved quite burdensome for the locals."

"Indeed," Zhar said, bowing. "I will take my leave."

Watching the twi'lek depart for a moment, she turned and entered her room, pondering all that had occurred in the recent days. There was so much fear and anxiety in the galaxy that made it seem impossible for the light of hope to pierce through, but coming to Dantooine had been good for her so far. Seeing the students and the calm, wavy hills was just what she needed. But what she needed most now, as she sat on the matted floor to the side of her bed, was to meditate on it all and release the turmoil from her mind.

To a place where there was no emotion, only peace.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello everybody!

I'm excited by the fact that if you are here at Chapter 2, you liked the first chapter enough to keep going. I really appreciate that!

For those of you who may read that chapter some months back when I originally posted it, I did make a story adjustment to it. If you read the first chapter in its original form, the only thing I made a noticeable change with is Vima not being a Jedi Master and Council member. I changed her status to being a newly minted Jedi Knight, rather than a Coruscant Council Master. I thought I may have overdid it a bit with that, considering how young Vima is at this point.

Anyways, as mentioned in Chapter 1's opening notes, I hadn't written anything beyond that, or even planned that much beyond the first chapter. I have since completed an entire storyboard/ chapter summary for the entire first book. So, I have lots of great ideas in store for this series. The overarching story (which would be very hard for me to finish) includes this first book dealing with pre-Mandalorian Wars events leading up to it, and the entirety of that war. The second and third books would be a split of the Jedi Civil War. The fourth would cover the events played though in _Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords_. And the final book (or two?) would deal with the remnants of the true Sith Empire.

Again, I feel it would be extremely hard to commit to finishing _all_ the above, but I think with enough time this book could be completed. But without further ado, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 2

3976 BBY

Dantooine

The Council Chamber on Dantooine was much smaller than the one Vima was used to standing in on Coruscant. There were seven council seats in the small circular chamber that sat atop the Council's Quarters Building, separated by less than a mile from the Enclave from which she had just come.

Jedi Master's Vandar, Dorak, Zhar, Qual, Aleco Stusea, and Bala Nisi sat in their respective chairs in front of her. The lone missing member was Vrook Lamar, whose presence was still accounted for by a glitchy grey hologram of the stern-looking man on a small holographic panel between the seats of Vandar and Dorak. His projection stood at just over two feet tall. Currently, Master Lamar was on a mission with several young Padawans on the volcanically active planet of Moltak. Though the world was moderately close to Dantooine, the harsh and ashy climate of the planet made wireless communication difficult at any range.

In addition to the Dantooine council, the High Council on Coruscant was also present via hologram. The nine individual Coruscant Masters were represented via full-color hologram along the equally numbered shaded windows the chamber featured, their torso and faces staring down on her. It was an impressive display in the darkened room, and it made her tense. Their enlarged faces were easily identifiable and crisply projected, as strong communications flowed from Coruscant to just about anywhere in the known galaxy. Among them was the Grandmaster, her mother, Nomi Sunrider, and her longtime friend and off-to-the-side mentor, Tott Doneeta.

The meeting had begun several minutes ago, and already the Masters were being stubborn.

"As I spoke of in my brief report yesterday, Masters," Vima said, "there is no doubt that Althir is on the verge of being controlled fully by a sizeable Mandalorian occupation."

The projection of Vrook spoke, saying, "Yes, this report is disturbing, but we cannot act out of hand. Already we have too many of our Order stationed throughout the galaxy. We are spread thin as it is; I do not believe we can spare the regiment of Jedi you request to occupy another world, especially one in Mandalorian space."

Vima looked to Vrook, her gaze circling around to the others Dantooine Masters and up at the those residing in the Main Temple on Coruscant, whose faces hung like ghosts above the shoulders of the flesh and blood Jedi before her. Most wore looks of neutrality, though it was harder to read the expressions of alien Masters such as Qual—a Selkath—or Cuolan Livaal—a Nautolan. However, it gave her hope that some appeared to be mulling over her revelation.

"Then perhaps the Republic can be of aide?" she asked.

She saw her mother's face shake solemnly. Though Nomi had entered middle-age some years ago, she retained her youthful face and vibrance. It served her well as both the Grandmaster and, separately-selected, primary Jedi Ambassador to the Senate.

"The Republic can afford to offer even fewer resources than we can," she said. "Even if it were to be approved, taking out more funds from the Banking Clan to pursue this will stifle the reconstruction of the worlds we are already in the process of rebuilding."

Vima's head tilted in frustration. Even though Nomi had been important in granting her daughter Knighthood in the Order, the last couple of years had been ones of long distance between the two. While Nomi played the politics game on Coruscant, Vima had been gaining more off-world experience, making most attempts to speak with her more sophisticated then it used to be before all the high-ranking promotions. Deep down, Vima knew that she and the other Masters cared for the lives being threatened, but they had to see that this wasn't something that she could fix by herself. She needed support from somewhere.

"The Republic has been 're-building' for what seems like my whole life," she said, "but that doesn't mean our enemies from the Sith Wars aren't, either."

This caught the attention of the Masters, and each looked to her, unsure of where this statement might go.

"You are all fully aware of what the Mandalorians can do. These warrior-clans are about to conquer _Althir_. Althir is a shipyard. They are not going to stop there—they are building themselves up for who knows what. Perhaps if we blockaded Mandalore or dealt with the Mandalorian contingents after the war, we wouldn't have to worry about this."

"Blockades are temporary, and _very_ costly," Master Aleco said off to Vima's left, her voice smooth, but commanding. Her red hair was similar to Nomi,s, but thinner, and her ears extended into sharp points similar to Vandar's. "The Republic was broken after the war, and by the time they or the Jedi could have pursued any remaining Mandalorians who fought alongside Ulic and the Krath, they were long gone. The current government on Mandalore is stable and peaceful, in any event."

"Do we know that now?" Vima pressed, crossing her arms. "They didn't even want a Senate delegation which tells me—".

"That is enough, Vima," Nomi said sternly. "The Council will continue to look over your reports. They will not be ignored, I assure you, but you cannot reasonably expect significant resources to be put to this right now."

Now Dorak, one of the Dantooine Masters along with Aleco, spoke, saying, "Suppose the Mandalorians are rebuilding. If they are, then responding with a fleet or Republic foot soldiers, no matter how small, will send the wrong message. Whatever is done on Althir must be done with discretion and stealth. Any investigation carried out by the Jedi or Republic must be kept unknown. Tipping off the Mandalorians in this situation will escalate matters to another level. We must first understand what current forces these intruders have at their disposal before jumping to larger conclusions."

This resulted in murmured agreements from most. Vima could feel the mood shift, and she couldn't deny that the dark-complexioned human Master made a valid point. However, she knew what she had seen. The planet of Althir wasn't under full Mandalorian control yet, but it would be soon. If they had the numbers and firepower to take one world, especially one as militarily stocked as Althir, then they had loftier goals that shouldn't be ignored.

"I will leave the matter to the wisdom of the Masters, then," Vima said, bowing before the assembly of Jedi in front of her and up to the holograms. "I await your decision."

"You are dismissed Knight Sunrider," Nomi said, which drew several looks from the Masters, reminded once more of her recent accomplishment.

As Vima departed, and the council room door slid shut behind her, she felt unsure. It was more than just the Mandalorians on Althir, it was what they exuded. Rarely had Vima seen such acts of brutality then what she had seen handed out to the locals. Originally, she had gone to Althir to secure several shipments of cortosis that had been mined on planet recently. The Order paid extraordinarily high prices for any cortosis they could find to keep it off the market for their lightsaber dulling efficiencies and often sent Jedi vanguards to escort larger loads. However, soon after the small Republic transport landed for the pickup, Mandalorian warriors arrived in numbers large enough to begin sacking the planet's larger cities.

The planet's local news quickly reported several hundred casualties, and Vima had seen some specific cases, though she had been unable to help. There had simply been too many for her to fight off, and they didn't seem to be in a talking mood, so she escaped the planet before coming under notice. She would have gone straight to Coruscant, but in order to escape, Vima and the Republic pilots had to take an alternative route out of the system, making Dantooine the most logical destination thereafter.

It was hard to tell in what amounts it was present, since she hadn't been exposed to its powers so strongly before, but she had felt the darkness from them. It overwhelmed her. They were not Force-users, but the power of the dark side emanated off them in ways she had not felt in any other beings before. A cause of this could have been that she hadn't been an active participant in the New Sith Wars, but she knew the darkness well enough to distinguish when one's actions were tainted by such powers.

She believed the Masters could feel it in her recollection of the events, and she had alluded to it in her written reports. Perhaps it was a major reason they were so apprehensive. The dark side had been defeated. There were still users, to be sure, but its sway should have been negligible after the fall of Exar Kun and the exile of Ulic Quel-Droma.

Or so they thought.

The anxiety she felt as a result of what she saw through the Force in those Mandalorians was frightening, because darkness was beginning to shadow her mind like a growing madness, and she couldn't have been the only one to feel it.

* * *

Vima sat crossed-legged in the Council Building's meditation chamber, divided into a half-dozen private rooms for privacy. Atop her risen circular seat, she awaited the Council's decision. Altogether, she had spent perhaps fifteen minutes in the presence of the Council, explaining the situation on Althir to them from her perspective. In contrast, since her last visit, asking for their aid or that of the Republic, it had been over an hour.

It was a sign that there was discussion and some amount of back and forth between the Masters. It also served to heighten the anxiety, even pushing through the meditative trance to her consciousness.

Images and emotions continued to run rampant through her mind until her eyes opened, revealing a stark blue against the soft glint of obscured sunlight through the lone window in front of her in the small room.

Breathing hard, and wiping her brow with the discarded cloak at the side of her seat, she unclipped a small container from her satchel. Opening it, she pulled out a dried-out green fruit known as a Bofa Treat. The small snacks were a nostalgic comfort food for her, as Odan-Urr, a Draethos Master, used to give them to her often as a child. Odan had been another of Vima's great early childhood mentors. Unfortunately, the wizened Master was one of the many casualties inflicted upon the Order during the past war, but his legacy was far from diminished by the final confrontation with Exar Kun.

She chewed slowly on the fibrous snack and focused on the Master's offered companionship while her mother had left her in his care. It helped, but sitting around would only loop her mind back to what woke her from the trance.

Thankfully, within a few more minutes, the door behind her sounded with a light knock. A wave of Vima's hand triggered the door's sensors, and a security guard took a half-step inside.

"The Council is ready to receive you in their chamber," he said.

Vima stood, gathering her belongings.

"I will see myself there. Thank you."

The guard nodded, leaving her as she swallowed the final bite of Bofa Treat she had taken out, with only one remaining. She had probably eaten several of the small fruits, but in addition to it being a warm reminder of Odan, she felt that each time she ate any, she was instilled with some part of the old Master's strength of will, which she needed more than most knew.

Throwing the container in her satchel and slipping the robe over her shoulders, she walked out of the shaded room, on her way to the second meeting with the Council in as many hours.

* * *

The Council chamber was brighter than when last Vima was inside. Also unlike last time, the Coruscant members and Master Vrook Lamar were not present via hologram. Noticing this, it appeared whatever course of action the combined Council had decided upon was final.

Standing before them once more, Vima simply waited upon entering with a curt bow.

Vandar spoke first.

"Knight Sunrider, we have taken note of your warnings regarding the Mandalorian presence on Althir. While it is true that the Republic cannot be directly involved as of yet, we have sent word to the Senate and Chancellor Usavis. All that you have spoken to us and written in your report are being privately convened upon on Coruscant."

Vima tilted her head in acknowledgement.

"This pleases me Masters," she said. Vima wanted to directly ask what the next steps were, but knew this would be explained without what could seem to be anxious prodding from the Master's point of view. As a Knight, she had to maintain the composure and self-control expected of one. Already today she had spoken out of place, and was determined not to do so again. So, she bit her tongue and was silent.

Continuing, Vandar said, "It has been decided by the Council that these Mandalorians should be studied and kept under close watch."

"You are correct in your sympathies for Althir and its people, and, as Vandar says, the Mandalorians themselves," Zhar said. "After some debate, it is the will of the Council to send you back to Althir, Vima."

Hope rose in Vima at the twi'lek master's words.

"Master Tott Doneeta will accompany you, along with his apprentice, Nathem Balim."

A small smile escaped Vima. Tott, was among the most respected Masters in the Order, and one of her former instructors. She had not gone on any off-world missions with him, but she had learned much from him in some of her earlier years of officially sanctioned Jedi training. She had met his apprentice on several occasions, too, and he was certainly gifted.

"Thank you, Masters."

"Master Doneeta and his apprentice are currently on their way from Coruscant now," Vandar said. "He will rendezvous here. As you know, he fought against Mandalorians during the war. He has the experience to help you, but Master Dorak first voiced an opinion upon which the entirety of the Council agreed with—and it is that you should take no risks that involve alerting the Mandalorians encamped there of your presence as a Jedi."

"While I appreciate sending me, Master Tott, and his apprentice," Vima said, "this will not be enough to push back the number of Mandalorians I saw on the surface. They might have more there by now, too. The militias were already being beaten back when I left."

"Your goals while there are simple: support evacuation efforts," Dorak said. "It is highly unlikely that the entire planet is conquered, especially one as armed as Althir. The Althiri aren't fighters, but they certainly aren't defenseless. If it turns out that the planet has fallen, or your ship cannot get to the surface unnoticed, then you are to leave, since nothing can be done at that point."

The mission then was the safeguarding of those that they could get off-world. It made sense, since it would take a sizeable military force that the Republic either was unable, or unwilling, to muster up. Still, Vima hoped that Senate leaders would recognize the threat that the Mandalorians posed. She felt that if they were rooted out at Althir and followed through to their base of operations—probably on Mandalore—the Republic could cripple the warmongering clans once and for all. It would take some commitment, but after a few months of focused attention, Vima was confident that it would be a non-issue in the future.

"I understand, Masters," she said. "With your leave, I will prepare for Master Doneeta's arrival."

"Granted," Vandar replied. "Several Masters will see you off; expect to depart Dantooine in less than a day's time."

"Thank you, I will make good on your confidence, Masters," she said, looking to each of their faces.

Seeing nods from all of them, she bowed and exited.

* * *

Vima had been ready for departure hours before Tott Doneeta and Nathem Balim landed inside one of the Enclave's personal hanger bays. Getting sleep had been difficult the previous night, but she was alert nonetheless. It would be another day and a half of travel to Althir, and every extra hour not spent at the planet was eating away at her.

Nonetheless, seeing Tott always lightened her mood, and when he walked down the ramp of the Jedi Stealth Cruiser along with his apprentice, she walked up to greet him.

"Master Doneeta, I was pleased to hear you and Nathem would be joining me to Althir."

Tott, like Zhar, was a Twi'lek. His skin was a greyish-white with a light yellow hue in most spots which was a common occurrence in middle-aged and older Twi'leks. However, the Master's physical condition was still in top form. They both wore light armors—same as Vima—to avoid their discovery as Jedi to any Mandalorians they happened to come across. After a shared bow between the two, he clasped her shoulder with a firm grip.

"I volunteered me and Nathem for this," he said, looking to the tall, dark haired youth. Nathem had grown several inches since she last saw him up close nearly two years ago, and where he grew in height, he also gained in handsomeness. Tott smiled, "It also gave me a chance to congratulate you on your Knighthood were I could not on Coruscant."

Vima nodded in appreciation. "Thank you, Master."

His eyes glinted before he stepped back and then looked beyond her.

Vima turned and saw Masters Qual and Vandar approaching.

Qual was a Selkath, an amphibious species native to the planetwide ocean world of Manaan. Fleshy lobes protruded down several inches under each side of his mouth to go along with inset black bulbous eyes and glossy blue skin. Vima didn't know much about Qual's species, but what she did know of Selkath was that it was near-impossible for them to live for prolonged periods of time without large sources of water nearby to constantly hydrate themselves and avoid drying out. To do so on planets such as here on Dantooine at and around the Enclave, where no large sources of water were found, Selkath such as Qual would usually be seen wearing a lightly armored breastplate known as a misting vent that supplied their bodies with sufficient amounts of water to keep themselves comfortably hydrated.

She had never been so close to a Selkath, and thus was not familiar with their native dialects. Fortunately, Qual spoke Galactic Basic well enough to be presumed fluent, though his words came out guttural and wet-sounding.

"What a pleasure it is to have had several guests join us on Dantooine," Qual said, "even if it is only for a short time."

Tott stepped forward to welcome to two Masters.

"Master Qual, it is good to see you again. And of course, Master Vandar," he said with a short bow.

"As was discussed in our Council meetings," Vandar said to them all, "Qual has spent some time on Althir in the past, and has been keeping close tabs on activity in surrounding sector travels."

Vima's head cocked. "Really?" she asked. "I wasn't there when this was discussed, and I didn't know that. Perhaps Qual should be the one to accompany me?"

The Selkath answered, his lobes swaying as his jaw moved. "This was years ago on Council business—just after the war. Since then, Althir has changed much—expanded." Qual stepped next to Tott. "In any event, I vouched for Master Doneeta upon his request to join you, and since a primary goal is secrecy, much less attention would be brought to a Twi'lek than a Selkath."

Vima nodded at Qual. "I agree." Then she asked, "Do you have any parting information for us?"

"The Senate has sent a small recon team to Mandalore, and though they can't cover every ship that leaves and lands, there is certainly no standing army. Wherever the Mandalorians assembled the forces you say they have on Althir, it hasn't come from the planet that bears their name."

"Perhaps," Vima said, "but there's no doubt that sympathizers to the Mandalorian glory days dwell there in droves. The ones on Althir might be receiving aid from some of them—they have to be getting their ships from somewhere."

"We will continue to keep contact with our teams around Mandalore," Vandar said, "and alert you of any information that would prove valuable to your mission."

"We should be on our way," Tott said. "We have over a day's journey to Althir, and every hour counts right now."

Vima couldn't agree more.

"Of course. I am confident that your journey will be fruitful," he said, looking each of the three Jedi over.

"Yes Master, thank you," she said. "Also, I would suggest ordering in some more supplies to the Enclave, we may bring quite a few escapees with us."

"We will keep this in mind," the short Master replied.

With that, Vima picked up the few belongings she would take with her, following Tott and Nathem to the sleek fighter. As she was about to board, she felt a presence watching her—a presence that she hadn't felt before. Stopping at the base of the ramp that the other two walked atop, she looked behind her. At the door of the Enclave hanger were a stack of crates and supplies, and at their side stood Meetra. She hadn't wanted to be felt, but Vima's leaving obviously sparked a surge of emotions she couldn't quite contain.

"Is everything alright?" Tott asked, looking down at her.

"Yes, give me just a minute more. Prep the engines, I will be right back."

Setting all but one of her packs down, she walked a dozen meters behind the departing Masters. They noticed Meetra near the door and begun to question her. She thought she heard them say that she was not supposed to be in the Enclave hangers. Vima appeared next to them all as Meetra fumbled for answers.

"Hello Meetra," Vima said.

"Hi," Meetra said meekly, barely able to take her eyes off the Masters.

"Forgive me, Masters, I forgot to give Meetra something," she said, wiggling her bag to them, "which is why she is here. I will see that she leaves shortly."

After a short moment, the two decided not to press the matter and continued past the exit doors.

Once they were alone, Meetra became the one asking questions.

"You are leaving?"

"I am," Vima replied. "There are…very important things going on right now."

It seemed Meetra knew enough not to ask for specifics that she wouldn't be allowed to know. Though she didn't like that this made Vima leave, she also didn't know that it was the only reason Vima had come to Dantooine in the first place.

Eying her armored suit, Meetra asked. "Is that why you came here?"

Vima gave a small smile as she took a step closer.

 _She is smart._

"Partly, but you may be happy to know that I think I will be back soon."

Leaning closer in and reaching inside her pack, Vima whispered, "Just in case the Masters ask, I should _actually_ give you something."

Meetra's eyes widened in anticipation.

From her bag, Vima pulled out the last of the Bofa Treats she had left and handed it to Meetra, who studied it closely.

Laughing, Vima said, "It's just a snack called a Bofa Treat. Not everybody likes them at first; they are bit of an acquired taste, so you may find it a bit too bitter on the first tasting."

Meetra looked up to Vima. "Thank you," she said, slipping it into the pocket of her pant leg.

"Come," Vima said, leading the girl to the exit with a guiding hand on her back.

Once at the exit, the two stopped.

"I look forward to seeing you again, Meetra. Keep doing what you already are, because I believe you will be a full-fledged Jedi one day."

Meetra nodded stalwartly. "I will; I promise."

With a final touch of the arm, Vima turned away and made her way to the ship.

"May the Force be with you," came Meetra's voice from behind.

Vima paused and half turned to the bright-faced youth.

"May the Force be with you young Surik," the Knight replied with a solemn smile and deep bow.

Meetra beamed a smile back of her own and bowed. Vima gave a final nod and the girl ran off.

By the time Vima had been sitting in the passenger seat next to Nathem and behind the piloting seat that Tott sat in for less then a single minute, the _Ranger II_ , as she was told by Nathem, was already pushing into Dantooine's atmosphere.

"The journey from Dantooine to Althir took me about a day and a half," Vima said, "but I think it will take less in a ship as fast as this?"

"That's right," Nathem answered proudly.

"How long, then?"

"Sixteen standard hours max," Tott said as turbulence began shaking the _Ranger_.

Then it would be sixteen hours to center herself for the battles to come.


End file.
